Don't Let High Fuel Costs Drive You
Whether you drive an economy car or an SUV, there are plenty of ways to improve
your gas mileage. Avoid aggressive driving and observe the speed limit.
Speeding, fast acceleration, and hard braking wastes gas. Lighten your load by
clearing your car of extra weight, and remove roof racks or carriers if not used
frequently. Keep current with car maintenance—clean air filters can improve gas
mileage by as much as 10%. Properly inflated and aligned tires will improve gas
mileage by 3%. Using the wrong grade of oil can reduce mileage by 1% to 2%. For
longer-term savings, consider a high-mileage vehicle for your next purchase.
Track Your Energy Costs with a Home Energy Audit
An energy audit will show you which areas of home use most energy and
help you decide the most effective way to reduce energy costs. You can conduct a
simple audit yourself, contact local utility, or call an independent energy
auditor for a more comprehensive examination. Check home's insulation
levels, and check for open fireplace dampers. Look for holes or cracks around
doors, light and plumbing fixtures, and other places where air may leak into or
out of home. Make sure appliances and heating and cooling systems are
properly maintained, and study family's lighting needs and use patterns,
paying special attention to high-use areas.
Lower Your Lighting Costs
Increasing your lighting efficiency is one of the fastest ways to decrease
your electricity bills. Turn off the lights in any room you're not using, or
consider installing timers, photo cells, or occupancy sensors to reduce the
amount of time your lights are on. Use task lighting; instead of brightly
lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it. For example, use
fluorescent under-cabinet lighting for kitchen sinks and countertops under
cabinets. Consider three-way lamps; they make it easier to keep lighting levels
low when brighter light is not necessary. Finally, use compact fluorescent lamps
(CFLs); they are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs and last 6 to 10
times longer. CFLs are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but they pay for
themselves by saving energy over their lifetime.
Power Your Home, Naturally, with Renewable Energy
Today, there are more options than ever to use renewable energy at home. A
new home provides the best opportunity for taking advantage of passive solar
energy. Orient the home to avoid overhead summer sun and to benefit from winter
sun in cooler climates. Solar pool heating systems are very efficient and can
cuts costs for heating swimming pools or hot tubs. The easiest way to take
advantage of solar power is to buy electricity generated by renewable sources
from your local utility. Under certain conditions, installing PV cells might be
right for you.
Stay Cool This Summer While Saving Energy
If you use air-conditioning, set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible
in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures,
the lower your overall cooling bill will be. Don't set thermostat at a
colder setting than normal when you turn it on. It will not cool your home any
faster and could result in excessive cooling and unnecessary expense. Remember that insulation and sealing air leaks will improve energy
performance and comfort in summer by keeping cool air inside.
Save Your Monthly Charcoal Costs
After partial ban of charcoal in Tanzania last year, the price of charcoal has increased exorbitantly. However, still switching to other forms of fuels it is difficult due to affordability and limited supply. Whether someone want to use charcoal for cooking at home or for business, there is need for cutting monthly costs of buying charcoal. Nowadays, there is an option of using improved charcoal saving stoves. The thermal efficiencies of these stoves range from 30 to 44 percent. The higher the thermal efficiency of stove, the higher capacity for saving charcoal.
Cellular Phone Charging in Off-Grid Areas
Cell phone business has grown rapidly from urban areas and now has spread to rural areas. However, only 10 percent of population has access to grid-electricity. If you are in the off-grid area, there is possibility of continuing to enjoy cellular phone communication services by charging them using solar energy phone chargers. The solar phone chargers are of different forms but the large chargers are suitable for rural phone charging business while small chargers are for individual use.